Make Believe
by ShaiLovesBooks
Summary: On the night of her eighteenth birthday, everything changed for Sarah. Her memories were gone, taken from her by an Unseelie fae seeking revenge on the High Prince Jareth. Will Jareth be enough to reignite the spark in her mind?
1. He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

Make Believe

Prologue- He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

December 11, 1988. One more day until the rest of my life begins. One more day until I can pick out my college, something my father requested I not do until the day of my eighteenth birthday. One more day before I become a legal adult. I could buy cigarettes myself if I knew I'd actually had the guts to smoke them. I could legally buy drugs, if I so wished. I could vote, too, but I was never into politics. Only one thing excited me more than turning eighteen, and that was _him_.

"Jareth?" I called toward my mirror, heart full of happiness and hope. He always listened, no matter what he was doing, and he always came when I called. It was something I could always trust in, something I truly put faith in. He was someone I knew would never use my faith against me.

There was only one time when he didn't come immediately. One time that scared me to death, but he was busy with court that day and couldn't arrive until an hour after I had called. Apparently, time went differently in the Underground. One hour to me was around three hours to him. I've wanted to go, but Jareth said this is a dangerous time for humans in the fae realms. There is a war coming, but he won't let me know anything about it.

"Yes, Sarah?" I smiled from the spot on my bed that I was sitting on as his voice came from the side of me. I faced him, taking in his mess of blond hair, his poet's shirt and leggings. It was his eyes and the lift of his mouth that always brought a smile to my face. He always put a smile to my face. It was that eyebrow raise that he did when I left him waiting that always brought me back to when we first met and how much we had changed and grown since then. How much closer we had become. How much love I felt for him now, that love that he would never know of.

"I'm turning eighteen tomorrow, Jareth," I paused, waiting for that smile he always gave me when I mentioned my birthday. Once it came, I continued. "You know the rules."

"I do recall them," he smirked. "However, I thought you said you didn't want anything this year."

"I lied."

"Sarah—"

"No, no, I really do want something, but I want it to be from the heart. From your heart." _I want you._

"I do not even understand that human term. From the heart."

"We've been over this, Jareth."

"Yes, but it will always be a wonder to me."

I laughed at that. He always tried to understand human tradition and sayings for me, but I could never tell if it was because he felt the same as me or if it was because he enjoyed our friendship.

Sighing loudly, Jareth conjured up a crystal. "Sarah, there is something I must tell you." He flipped the crystal between both hands in a way that reminded me of when we first met.

"Yes, Jareth?" I smiled at him, but behind the smile was intense worry and anxiety. Worry that I did something or, worse, worry he did. My anxiety was relentless, always trying to make me see the worst in every given situation. Alas, he was always the optimist of the two of us.

"I am more than a mere King of Goblins, you see," he paused, looking into my eyes with a fire I had never noticed before now. "I am also a Prince of Dreams."

"What—"

He held up one lone finger and I knew exactly what that meant. It meant he was gathering his thoughts. It meant I had no idea what he was about to say, but I needed to hear it. It meant he did something.

"When people call out to me in their dreams, I can sense it and enter their dreams."

"Oh," I blushed, the rose color gracing my face and neck in a way that I had never felt before. Then I was angry. "Oh." I turned a sharp glare in his direction, but he held up one hand.

"I have never entered your dreams, Sarah, but lately your mind has been calling out to me at night more than usual." He then smirked at me and the blush grew tenfold. "Have you been— No, no, you mustn't have."

"I—"

"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah… have you been dreaming of me?"

"N-no."

"Don't you dare lie to me," he glared for a moment before softening. "I can easily check for myself if you do." He flipped the crystal in his hand a few times, as if he was reminding me of his power.

I was stumped at that. I had always been terrible at apologies, but I never wanted him to see _those _dreams. The dreams where he enters my room at night. The dreams where he takes me on my first date. The dreams where he admits he cares for me far more than a King should care for someone like me. A _human_.

"Jareth, please." I surprised the both of us with how calm my voice was. "That isn't nice."

"Neither is lying." He seemed hurt but hid it almost immediately. "Friends don't—"

"Lie, I know." I tried to hide my own hurt whenever he used that word. _Friend_. "I-I'm sorry."

"It is of no consequence."

I still felt bad. I knew it bothered him just as much as it bothered me. I was always honest and forward with him, but today was different. I was turning eighteen tomorrow. A legal age in the human realm. Old enough to marry Jareth, should he have me.

Of course, he would have me… _right?_

"Sarah? Have I embarrassed you?" He asked, but, for the first time I don't know how to answer. "My apologies. Perhaps I should leave—"

"I want you to look at one of my dreams." I blurt out, surprising each of us for more than the first time this evening.

"Are you certain?" He asks me, and I love him for it. Years ago, he would have done so without even asking. Hell, he would have no matter how I felt about it. Now, though, through our friendship, he's learned to ask. He's learned to be kind.

"Yes." I say with much more confidence. _I'm ready_.

"Sarah!" My stepmother calls.

I throw wide eyes at Jareth as he nods and disappears.

"Sarah?" My stepmother's voice is at my door now. "Can you come help with dinner?"  
"Yes!" I call back in disappointment. I glanced at my clock and noticed that it was nearing five o'clock. Dinner was usually ready around six, which is close to when my dad will be home at five thirty.

I quickly make my way out of my bedroom, still decorated as it was when I was fifteen, and climb down the stairs towards the kitchen. "Hey, Karen," I tell my stepmother, her blond hair still in its curly mess from this morning. It's a Friday, which meant it was cleaning day for her. "When's Toby going to be back from the McGuire house?" I wondered at her, but I guess she hadn't heard me because she started reading the cans for cherry pie filling. "Karen?"

"Oh, Sarah! Sorry, I was trying to decide if I wanted to use these cherry pie fillings and make a pie with dinner tonight," she seemed a little stressed, but I didn't know why. "Can you run to the store and get me some things? I ran out of tomatoes, yellow squash and zucchini for the ratatouille and I needed some onions for the meatballs I'm making for dinner."

Fancy vegetarian option with a fancy meat option. Uh Oh. "They can't be." I said.

"But they are, and I really need this stuff. There's a list by my wallet. Please hurry." She paused. "Should I make the pies?"

"One cherry, one apple. He likes cherry, but she likes apple." I replied. The Thompsons. The reason my brother was spending one more night at the McGuire house. They're the owners of the company my father is restlessly trying to get a promotion at. If he gets this promotion, his work hours will lessen as his pay would increase. He could finally start working from home and homeschool Toby, like he wanted to homeschool me. "I'll be back as soon as possible!"

I quickly ran back up the stairs and grabbed my shoes, but Jareth's reflection in my mirror made my movements halt. "Jareth?" I asked, but when I blinked, he was gone.

"Can I join you?"

"Ah!" I jumped a bit.

"Sarah? You okay?" Karen called up.

"Just… dropped my shoe!" I lied. It had gotten so much easier to lie to them that it worried me sometimes.

"Be more careful, honey and please hurry to the store!"

"I will!" I yelled back but turned sharp eyes on Jareth. "No. You'll stand out and I need to hurry."

"Wait," he said as he caught my hand with his. I almost fell over at his bare touch. Electricity shocked between us. A sort of magical feeling I'd only felt when he touched me and, oh, I wished he'd touch me more. "I can change to anything or anyone. Could I come then?"

"Yes, okay, just hurry." I turned to face the door. "But don't complain that you're bored, okay? That'll just annoy me." I turned back to find his blond hair was much shorter. His ears no longer had a sharp point to them, and his teeth were also relatively normal. He wore jeans and a button-down shirt with some casual, black shoes. "Oh." I gasped at him. His mixed matched eyes were the only recognizable part of him. He was beautiful, but that was a constant with him. "I—I'll meet you downstairs, don't follow me."

I waited for his nod of agreement and made my way downstairs. "I'll be back, Karen!" I yelled before grabbing the money out of her wallet, the list and the keys, then making my way towards the car that I barely drove. I preferred to walk. It was much more satisfying in this small town in New York. The countryside of New York wasn't what made New York famous, but it's what made it home to me. Unlocking the door, I quickly started the car. As I turned to back out, I noticed Jareth in the passenger seat and jumped in surprise. "Ah!" I slammed on the brake hard, causing the car to immediately stop its reverse.

"Jareth! You can't scare me like that!"

"My apologies, should I have warned you?" His thick English accent surprised me when I knew it shouldn't have. He had a slight English accent before, but it was mixed with an accent that I didn't recognize. "Sarah?"

"What?" I asked, my mind wondering to his perfectly human lips and I found myself disappointed at the lack of a point to his teeth. "Oh, yes, warn me next time."

"Are you okay?" He asked moments later, as we neared the store. I was trying so hard not to tense us next to the _human _Jareth.

"Yes, sorry." I murmured, but I totally wasn't okay. Human Jareth was beautiful, but he wasn't _my _Jareth. He felt more distant. Less like a king and more like a commoner, more like me.

We made it to the store, and I pulled out the list and quickly went through the list, item by item. Jareth was constantly asking questions. He eventually saw sign for peaches and all color drained of his face. "What's wrong, Jareth?"

"Sarah, have you ever had a craving for peaches so strong that you didn't think you could eat anything else?"

"No," I said. "Why?"

"Just curious." He smiled at me then and that smile made it all better. Everything I was feeling in that moment went away and was replaced with a giddy excitement. The kind of giddy excitement that only he could give me. "I'm constantly craving peaches, you know." His stare turned evil for split second before he calmed.

"Let's checkout, Jare—Jared." I coughed as I noticed a family friend not too far off staring at us. I had never been seen with a boy—ever. I waved and smiled, as a good girl should, and walked off from Jareth, but Jareth was completely oblivious to any onlookers. I suppose I was far too caught up in his eyes and smile, because I suddenly recognized everyone in the market. There was my old high school teacher in the cookie isle and my grade school principal with the produce and so on and so forth.

"Let's go," I said after we were checked out by my kindergarten sweetheart. I never realized how small of a town we lived in. I suppose it never bothered me until now. Now that I have him, I just wanted to run away and start over. At the same time, I wanted to shout at the rooftops that he was something he wasn't. _Mine_.

"What's wrong?" He asked me on the car ride back.

"Nothing, I just knew a lot of people back at the store." I said, but the realized how it sounded.

"Oh, so you're embarrassed of me?"

"No! Of course not!" I quickly said. "You're just complicated and not many people would understand, and I'd probably end up in an insane asylum." I giggled at the thought of being in a cell with him. Then my thoughts turned on me and I found the rosy color gracing my pale complexion.

"The insane asylum?"

He was always asking questions. Always so curious about the human world. Always so curious.

"Yes, a place where we put people who are not of standards in sanity."

"Where I'm from we would put people like that in an oubliette."

"Very similar to that, yes." I replied, thinking back to my trip in an oubliette on my first and last trip to the Underground. I will always fantasize about Jareth in that tunnel, with me pressed against the—

"Why are you biting you lip, Sarah?" He asked, almost like a child, but I could practically hear the amusement in his tone. Perhaps it was just me, hopelessly in love with the man, but I could have sworn I heard his voice deepen. Almost as if he liked it. Almost.

"Oh, just lost in thought." I smirked. I could easily find out if he liked me, but was I really that childish?

"Oh? Who of, might I ask?"

Perhaps it was the cockiness in his voice. Perhaps I wanted to bring him down. Or perhaps I really am that childish, but I suddenly found words leaving me without my mind checking them first. "Of Bryan." Oh, snap.

"Bryan?" The dissatisfaction of his voice made me both cringe and jump with excitement.

"No." I quickly said.

"Then why did you say it?"

"To get you to shut up." I snapped. I was suddenly done with his constant questions. I knew I was in trouble for lying again, but I didn't want to have to accept it.

We finally reached home. "Meet me in my room in about two hours, okay?" But when I glanced over, he was already gone. Perhaps I had pushed it too far. Perhaps I had pushed him too far. "I'm so stupid." I faceplanted into the steering wheel, making the horn go off for a split second. "Ugh!" I shouted at nothing in particular.

An hour later, we were all seated at the table in the first dining room. It was the really nice one and my stepmother had gone all out.

"So, Mr. Thompson, tell me a bit about what you do recreationally?" My stepmother asks. This is only the second dinner we've had with the Thompsons and the first didn't go very well. We found out too late that Mrs. Thompson was vegetarian, and Mr. Thompson was the biggest carnivore you'd ever see. They fought constantly about their viewpoints on food and the last dinner that my stepmother had worked so hard on was almost instantly spoiled. It was a large turkey with dressings and such, like it was Thanksgiving, which is my second favorite holiday.

"I love golf."

"Of course you do," I murmured under my breath. This was going to be a long night.

Another hour later and I finally found an excuse to leave, but right as I started to speak, my father took over. "It's Sarah's birthday tomorrow, Mr. Thompson."

"Graham. I told you to call me Graham."

"Graham," he murmured, not liking the sound of it. I could read it on his face.

"Oh, is that so, Sarah?" Mr. Thompson directed the entire table's attention on me.

"Yes, sir." I said politely, praying to any and all gods to get me away from this table.

"What's a hint to a birthday present?" he then asked.

Sarcastically, I said, "Entry to Cambridge University."

"Done." He said and whipped out his phone to type out a massive text.

My mouth dropped at that. Entry to Cambridge University? I should have asked for my father's promotion, realistically, but Cambridge was my dream. England was my dream. I wanted another Old English Sheepdog, one to represent my dog Merlin who had passed away a year after the Labyrinth trip. I wanted to learn the accent and ask for chips instead of fries and crisps instead of chips. I wanted the feel of London and the rolling hill country of Herefordshire. I wanted it all.

"Really?" I squeaked, unbecomingly I might add.

"I'll definitely put your foot in the door, at the very least." He said and I could have hugged him right then, had the table not been in the way.

"Thank you, Graham." I said, a huge smile on my face.

We bid them farewell about thirty minutes after that and I raced up to my room to see Jareth and tell him the good news.

"Jareth?" I called at my mirror, but he didn't come immediately. "Jareth?" I called again, but he wasn't there.

"Yes, Sarah?" I jumped when his voice suddenly appeared from behind me. He sounded upset, angry almost. He was back in his usual wear, poet's shirt with leggings and boots. He was beautiful.

"Where were you?" My tone grew angry, too. He had no right to leave the way he did and blame me for it. I know I hadn't behaving the way I should today, but it's only because I had been planning something for tomorrow. Something huge.

I was finally going to tell him.

"I don't believe that's any of your concern," his voice became deadly. He was pissed. "Why should it matter to you, anyway?"

"Jareth," I sighed. "Please. We need to—"

"Talk? I do believe we should. What should I mention first? The lies? Or the way you snapped at me today?"

"Jareth—"

"The lies it is. You have lied to me numerous times today for the first time in our friendship," I cringed at the word friend and this time he noticed. "Not to mention the way you have snapped at me. It's bad enough the danger I'm in coming to see a _human_ at this time of year in the faelands, but even worse when that human, who is supposed to be my friend—why do you keep—?"

"Because I don't want to be your friend anymore Jareth." I said loudly. My body shook with an anger, one I channeled in for determination. One final move I prayed would work. I took a step towards him, towards that terrifyingly broken look on his face. "Because—"

"Because of what? Because I'm fae?" He jumped towards that conclusion so fast it gave me whiplash. I took another step. "Because I'm a King?" One more step until I was finally in front of him.

"No," I stood on the tip of my toes so that I was right in his face. "Because I love you." At that moment, I grabbed his poet's shirt and pulled him down to kiss me.

The kiss was soft at first, but I think he realized what was happening because I felt his hands on my hips and my feet lift from the ground. Because I felt the way he moaned lightly against my mouth and added slightly more pressure to the kiss. Because he growled when I tried to pull away for air and pulled me right back into the kiss. Then I was crying because I knew. I knew he felt the same way. I knew it because he didn't try to hide it anymore. I felt my feet touch the ground the second the tear it my cheek and I felt his hand reach up to wipe the tear away.

"I've been waiting for you to admit it for a while now." His breath was so close to my ear that is sent shivers down my spine. "I've known for a few months and, gods, Sarah, it's been killing me."

"How did you find out?" I asked, feeling the crazy laughter coming.

"When you stopped calling me your friend," he said. "When you looked at me liked I was the only person in the room. When you started dreaming of me. When your dreams became more frequent. When—"

"I get it, I get it. I'm obvious to everyone but myself."

"No," he replied. "Just me." Then he kissed me.

It was moments after that, just moments, when he felt a child being wished away for the first time in months. I was more than disappointed when he told me he couldn't be late for this one, but he would be back as soon as he could.

"Wait!" I called before he could leave. "I love you." _Say it back._

He just smiled at me like I'd given him the whole world. "I know." Then he was gone.

* * *

It was late that night. Later than it should have been, that I finally gave up and went to sleep. Perhaps it was because the person Jareth went to see decided to run the Labyrinth and he wouldn't be back until tomorrow. Perhaps it wouldn't be but a couple of days so the new baby would find a new home.

Jareth has told me how the process really works. If you are in the Underground for longer than fifteen hours, you become a fae or a fae-like creature. So, the babies that are given away must stay in the Underground through adoption. The babies that are not adopted are either turned into goblins or kept by the King himself. It's definitely an interesting change of pace from the human realm.

I then heard a shift close to my bed. I jumped up to look around. "Jareth?" I called, but no one was there. I looked to see a raven in my window, beating up against it until the window finally opened and a man appeared.

He wore black clothes and the air spoke of a dark power. He wasn't very tall, but he didn't need to be to intimidate someone. His clothes were tight, but it wasn't the tights and poets shirt I was familiar with. No, he wore skinny jeans and leather jacket. His red hair was slicked back and his black combat boots demanded attention. His jawline was defined and his cheeks were sullen, like he had forgotten to eat once or twice. I couldn't tell how skinny he was, but he did seem to be starving.

I felt bad for him before I felt it. My legs turned into jello and every instinct went off.

_Danger._

The wind blow into my room as he approached me and my hands began to tingle with a power I had never felt before, but din't know how to use.

_Danger._

"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah…" His voice was taunting, cold. It brought a chill down my spine.

"Do I know you?" I demanded, sitting straight up.

"No, but you will." He then stretched out his hand and touched my forehead. That was the last thing I remembered.

No, it was the only thing I remembered.

* * *

**Hello! It's so very nice to meet all of my Labyrinth fans out there. This is my first attempt at a Labyrinth fanfiction and I hope you like it. Please let me know in the comments!**

**-ShaiLovesBooks**


	2. Forget Me Not

Make Believe

Chapter One- Forget Me Not

There wasn't much I believed in. His blue eyes burning with a determination I had never seen before as one of his knees dropped down. A smile I had only seen once before, when I had accepting his offer of a date many months ago in the cafeteria of Cambridge University.

His mouth opened slightly, beautiful words pouring out of them. Beautiful words I had secretly wanted to hear for a long time.

"Sarah Williams, will you do me the honor of marrying me?" he asked, but my smile never formed, and no tear of joy fell from my eyes.

"No," I said, sadly, quietly, and I walked away. Yes, it was those words I had always wanted to hear, but it was also those words that I dreaded. Oh, I dreaded them more than anything else. Because those beautiful words were coming out of the wrong mouth, I just knew it. No, it was more than that, I felt it.

Yes, there wasn't much I believed in, but I always believed in myself.

It wasn't much later that I found myself on my bridge. My special place. I sighed, kicking off my black high heels and stretched against the ledge. My green dress tugged on my sides a bit, pulling me back into reality.

It didn't have to be this way; I knew it didn't. I was twenty-three, my twenty-fourth birthday happening the very next day, and I couldn't stand the idea of wasting my time with the wrong guy. I knew the right guy was out there. Someone who could challenge me and someone who would respect me in a way that these other guys couldn't. Yes, I knew he was out there… wasn't he? He had to be.

"Ugh, why am I so weird?" I asked myself, doubt creeping in. What if he really was the one and I was just being picky? Could you really be too picky about love?

If you knew the right guy, the perfect guy for you, was out there, wouldn't you do anything to find him? That's what I'm trying to do. Granted, it was a lonely journey, that's why I tried so hard to make it work with someone else, but anytime it got serious, I got scared. Scared I was wasting my time. Scared to be stuck in a situation with someone who wasn't _the one_. Honestly, I shouldn't even be worried about this. I should be determined to be single and enjoy life. But why does life feel so lonely? Why is there a gapping hole in my life that I keep trying to fill, but with something it doesn't need?

"Why are you so weird?" a voice said, coming from behind me. It was a deep voice, something that sent shivers down my spine and warning signs off in my mind. Putting on a brave face, I turned, but no one was there. "Why _are_ you so weird?" The voice came from behind me once again. Confused, I turned once again, my bare feet rubbing against the concrete of the bridge, but no one was behind me. "Why _are you _so weird?" The voice seemed to be coming from every direction now, clouds covering the moon on a clear night and smoke filling the empty bridge. "Why _are you so_ weird?" The voice turned evil and I felt _something_, _everything_ at once. I felt the betrayal and anger that Kevin, the guy I denied only hours ago, felt. I saw the tears fall down an older woman's face as she said goodbye to the love of her life. I felt the joy of a woman marrying the love of her life and I felt the joy of children on Christmas. Then I felt the loss of those children when the war came and stole their dads, brothers, mothers and sisters from them. I saw parts of my own childhood that made no sense and, finally, I saw _him_. His blond hair whipped against his face as he spoke words that were so close to heart that I could taste the emotions they gave me.

_'Who is this man?'_

"What—" I asked, dizzy, but my throat suddenly tightened as the voice was ripped from it.

"What—" my voice said, but my mouth hadn't moved, and my vocal-cords never vibrated. It was a strange sensation, to hear your own voice, but separated from your body.

Then I saw _it_. That's all I could describe it as, an _it_. It seemed to have no feet, wispy black smoke glided from the base of his black robes, its face was melted, something from nightmares. An eye was seen by its mouth- at least it seemed like a mouth- and its nose was closer to its forehead. The one eyes that seemed to be in the right place glared at me. Its mouth opened slightly, but that was the only inclination that I had received that it was the one speaking to me.

"Sarah, Sarah, _Sarah_," the voice spoke. Its familiarity hurt my head and make my heart racing in a longing I had never felt before.

"What do you want?" I yelled, hoping my voice would show the bravery I definitely wasn't feeling in that moment, but my voice shook in rebellion.

"_Everything I've done, I've done for you, Sarah_," It seemed to be reading from a script, its words making no sense, and yet my mouth moved and spoke words that I had never heard before.

"I move the stars for no one." The wind hit my face as my eyes shut and my feet gave in to the ground. I never felt the pressure of the ground hit my face though. The next thing I felt was the comfort of my pillow and it all felt like a dream.

Why did everything always feel like a dream?

It felt like it was days later that I finally woke up. "Sarah?" My stepmother called from downstairs.

"Yeah?" I called back with a voice that sounded different. Everything felt so different now. I could still feel the way my throat tightened as my voice was ripped from my own body. "What a strange dream." I said, my fingertips touched my throat with care, as though it were damaged in some way.

"Could you come downstairs and help me with dinner?"

Sarah Williams was many things, but she was no cook. "Be right down!"

This was going to be fun.

* * *

Months later, I found that my feet had taken me back to my childhood park. I used to read here and reenact plays that my mother had done, but I could never remember the names for them. I heard a shift and glanced up at the tree branch to see a beautiful barn owl. This was no ordinary barn owl, though, because the precious bird seemed to look at me with such despair.

"Look at me. Almost graduating from a university, turned down a marriage proposal only months after my second relationship ever and now staring at birds like they have all of the answers. My poor brain is going. Such a pity." I sighed as I pulled out a cigarette and lit it. I blew the deadly smoke into my lungs, just to breath it out once more. It was a never-ending process and I prayed it would kill me one day. I heard a thunderous clap come from the sky and decided to find the gazebo to spend some more time in my favorite spot. "Come on, feet." I said as I walked towards the trash cans and used the ash tray on top to dispose of my cigarette.

It felt like I had walked for a lot longer than I actually had before I came to a halt. My gazebo. It was the part of this small town that made visiting home worth it. Well, besides seeing Toby and the rest of the family for winter's break. I would be turning twenty-four in three days. It would be an interesting time for me. I would be just one more semester away from graduation with my master's degree in psychology, a degree I worked my butt off for.

I should be happy with where I'm at, shouldn't I? Then why did I feel so empty? It felt—lonely.

"Ugh, why am I so weird?" I asked myself, doubt creeping in. What if he really was the one and I was just being picky? Could you really be too picky about love? But I was scared. Scared to be stuck in a situation with someone who wasn't _the one_. Honestly, I shouldn't even be worried about this. I should be determined to be single and enjoy life. But why does life feel so lonely? Why is there a gaping hole in my life that I keep trying to fill, but with something it doesn't need?

_"Why are you so weird?"_ That voice echoed in my mind. A mere dream, a fantasy of sorts. I gasped at the feeling of being watched and turned around to see a shadow shift in the distance.

"Hello?" I asked nothing. "I'm going crazy..."

"Sarah..." "Sarah..."

"Hello?" I shouted at nothing as the smoke got closer to my feet. Darkness surrouned everything. My vision blurred as tears feel from my eyes. It was pitch black. Every sense was gone. I couldn't feel. I couldn't hear. I couldn't think. So, I did the one thing I could think of as my hands began to tingle in a way that I had felt only once before.

I screamed.

It was mere hours later that I woke up with a pounding headache, wondering where I might be. I found myself in my old bedroom that I was staying in over winter's break. It was my first winter—no, first visit in general here. After I left, if felt like everything was sucked from me. My head had constantly hurt for the entirety of my first semester. It's everything jet lag wasn't. I was worried I was getting sick, but I knew that I had taken every vaccine I needed to stay in England.

I hardly called my parents, except to talk to Toby. It was so strange, but I felt such a strong connection with him that sometimes it felt I would die for him. No, I would die for him if the chance ever came up, I just knew it. I felt it. It was almost as strong as the empty feeling I get when I focus too hard on my past, or when I sit down in my room. My poor, lonely room that will forever need to be remodeled, but that I will never have the heart to take down.

I glanced over at my window and saw an owl perched up on the branch by the side of it, staring at me like I held a treasure it wanted. Like I was the treasure. I suddenly felt the desire to go toward the owl. To hold it, and to caress it.

"I'm losing it." I said, but something, a memory tugged at me. Something that begged to be touched, but something I couldn't. You see, I was in a terrible car accident in London when I went to tour the school in Cambridge and lost most of my memories. It was a tragic even that I barely survived. Took me a year to be able to travel again, but I decided to stay in London and continue to pursue my education.

Here we are, five years later, back in the room I wish I could touch to feel within my head. Back where I felt it all started, but I didn't know what.

Looking at the barn owl, a name entered my head. _Zevenious, Prince of Dreams._

I smiled as I came up with the story of a prince that just wanted to fly but couldn't. He oversaw the dreams of humans and wished to dream himself. If he could, he would dream of the wind between his feathers and the floor no longer beneath him. The prince wanted to fly so badly, that he begged the gods to allow him to transform. The gods granted his one wish, but they did not allow him the precious gift of becoming a bird. Instead, he became a jaguar and roams the grounds in search of food for his people.

His sister, however, was gifted flight in the form of a raven. He envied her so much that he plotted to kill her. End the end, though, the gods took away his ability to shapeshift and banished him to the dark side of the faelands. They then deemed him Unseelie.

"And that was the story of how Zevenious came to be." I said to the children before me. I had volunteered to read my story to the kids for a fun day at the library the day after I had finished editing my story. The library agreed, but only because it was my birthday the very next day.

"Wonderful story, Sarah. Can we give Sarah a round of applause?" The head librarian said, but my attention was no longer on her. It was on mismatched eyes that stared at me with everything. It was that lonely feeling that was finally gone when I looked at him. "Thank you, Sarah."

I smiled at the children before me and stood up. "Thank you." I said with a smile and my hand reached out for Toby. I glanced back up to look for the man with mismatched eyes, but he was nowhere to be found.

"Sarah, is Zevenious related to the Goblin King?" I stopped at that. Goblin King?

"Who is the Goblin King?" I asked Toby, confused. My mind seemed to scream at me when those words left my mouth. It's like it was right on the tip of my tongue.

"He was your favorite story to tell me when I was a kid." My seven-year-old baby brother said, but I didn't remember telling him any stories of a _Goblin King_.

"Toby, you're still a kid." I smiled at him, hoping to change the subject.

"Am not!" He said posing with his arms raised slightly and bent at the elbow to show me his growing muscles. His small fists were the cutest things I had ever seen. My laughter was drowned out by the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. His voice as melodic and charming. It was like angels singing in my ear for the first time. My heart seemed to stop, and my mind screamed at me to remember. "Who are you?" Toby asked the man behind me, his voice lower and seemingly dangerous. I then prayed to see mismatched eyes, the ones that, oddly, made me feel safe, not some random stranger laughing at my brother.

"I'm sorry," his English accent threw me off. "I just wanted to tell your sister what a wonderful job she did on her story."

"How did you know—" I stopped when I looked at him. His hair was the blondest I had ever seen in seemingly natural hair. His mismatched eyes were so beautiful up close and his smile… God, his smile. He looked at me like I was the only girl in the room and with the way he looked, I hoped I was.

"How did I know what?"

"How did you know I was his sister? Most people confuse me to be his mother." It was odd because Toby's hair was almost as blonde as the man before me and my hair was such a dark brown that people often confused it for black.

"I apologize. You two merely seemed like brother and sister."

"Thank you for not assuming I'm old enough to have a seven-year-old." I laughed a bit, but he didn't laugh with me. Instead he looked at me with all the sadness of the world. "Are you—"

"Oh, I never introduced myself. I'm Jared. Jared Davidson."

"Has anyone ever told you that name doesn't fit you?"

"No. Someone special gave it to me, so I've kept it ever since."

"Your mother?" I said sarcastically, then covered my mouth. "I'm so—"

"Don't worry about it. It was nice to meet you, Sarah." The way he said my name sent shivers down my spine. "Perhaps we will see each other again?"

"I would like that." I smiled at him and then turned to grab my baby brother's hand and head home.

* * *

**Hello, everyone! I would like to apologise for leaving you all hanging like that! I got married recently. Very recently. I'll tell you, people call it a new chapter of life, but it feels like book 2 of my series. I can only imagine what it's going to feel like when kids pop into the picture.**

**Anyway, I now am getting a schedule together to where I can finally write in peace while getting my wifely cleaning done in time for my husband to get home. I'm so excited to see what you guys think of my story. Please comment and review and like the story to your heart's content! It encourages me to write more and faster. **

**Thanks for sticking with me!**

**-ShaiLovesBooks**


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